Breakthrough Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats Offers Hope for Longer, Healthier Lives
We have shared many adorable photos of cats with everyone before, and indeed, no matter how often we see their cuteness and playful antics, it never gets old. However, all cat owners know one persistent issue: cats are naturally prone to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
In Japan, researchers have developed a new treatment specifically targeting feline chronic kidney disease. This innovative medicine has successfully progressed to clinical trials and holds great promise for becoming widely available at an affordable price in the near future.
Thanks to this breakthrough, cats will no longer need to worry about declining health after reaching 10 years of age. Instead, they could become healthier and potentially live up to 30 years, effectively doubling the typical lifespan of cats affected by kidney disease.
The Science Behind the Treatment
The treatment is based on a protein called AIM (apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage), which plays a crucial role in removing dead cells and waste from the kidneys. In cats, AIM is abnormally bound too tightly to another molecule, preventing it from performing this cleanup function, leading to waste buildup and kidney damage.
Japanese scientist Dr. Toru Miyazaki discovered that supplementing AIM or activating it can help macrophages clear kidney waste, improving kidney function and slowing or reversing CKD progression. Clinical trials of AIM-based therapies have shown promising results, even in cats with advanced disease.
Impact and Future Availability
After overcoming funding challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Miyazaki's team resumed clinical trials and is collaborating with pharmaceutical companies to bring this treatment to market. The AIM injection is expected to be commercially available by 2025, with efforts underway to ensure it is affordable for cat owners worldwide.
In the meantime, dietary supplements that activate AIM are already available in Japan, offering a preventive approach to kidney disease when added to cats' food from a young age.
What This Means for Cat Owners
This breakthrough represents a major advancement in feline medicine, offering hope that cats can live longer, healthier lives free from the debilitating effects of chronic kidney disease. Cat owners can look forward to a future where their beloved pets may thrive well into their third decade of life.
Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats: A Serious Health Concern
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats is a condition characterized by the gradual decline of kidney function over time. While men over 40 often pay special attention to kidney health, cats face an even greater challenge with this disease. CKD is the leading cause of death in domestic cats and can affect cats of all ages. However, the risk increases with age, and cats between 7 and 10 years old are already considered a high-risk group.
The disease progresses slowly, leading to the loss of about 30% of kidney function as it advances. Because the kidneys have a large reserve capacity, symptoms often do not appear until significant damage has occurred. This gradual deterioration means that many cats may suffer from CKD without obvious signs until the disease is quite advanced.
Older cats are particularly vulnerable, with the likelihood of developing CKD rising as they age. Regular veterinary check-ups and early monitoring are crucial for timely diagnosis and management to improve quality of life.
Breakthrough in Treating Cat Kidney Disease by Japanese Scientist Toru Miyazaki
A persistent problem troubling cat owners may soon be resolved thanks to the work of 61-year-old Japanese scientist Toru Miyazaki. After years of development, he has successfully tackled the issue of feline kidney disease. If all goes well, the new drug could be available as early as 2025.
Although this breakthrough seems aimed at cats, Miyazaki himself does not have a veterinary background. Initially, his research was not focused on cats but on immunology. While working at an immunology institute in Switzerland in 1995, he discovered a highly concentrated protein in human blood, which he named AIM (Apoptosis Inhibitor of Macrophage). At first, he did not understand AIM's role in the body. It was only after reading a paper linking AIM to atherosclerosis that he realized his research had significant implications for treating atherosclerosis and organ failures such as liver and kidney failure.
AIM functions by helping the body clear out dead cells and damaged proteins, which otherwise accumulate and cause harm. This protein effectively removes such waste, reducing the risk of disease.
At a 2013 presentation, Miyazaki shared his findings. During the discussion, a veterinarian mentioned that many cats suffer from kidney failure. This prompted Miyazaki to recall that feline AIM behaves differently. Although cats have AIM, it cannot perform its normal function because it binds abnormally to immunoglobulins in their bodies. Unlike in humans, this prevents AIM from marking dead cells for removal, leading to the buildup of waste in cat kidneys and resulting in kidney failure.
Motivated by this discovery, Miyazaki devoted himself to developing a treatment for chronic kidney disease in cats. The solution involves injecting normal AIM protein into cats to restore its function and clear kidney waste.
Originally, Miyazaki did not intend to develop a feline kidney disease drug, but this unexpected direction became his focus. The biggest challenge recently has been delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after announcing the research online, it quickly gained attention from cat owners worldwide. Within six months, generous supporters raised 300 million yen to fund the research, driven by the simple hope of improving cats' health and extending their lives.
With funding secured, development progressed smoothly. The drug has now completed the development phase and is in clinical trials. Early results are promising: one cat diagnosed with only a week to live showed significant health improvement and regained mobility after AIM injections. Another 23-year-old female cat, previously very weak, showed major symptom improvement after four months of treatment and could eat independently again.
The drug is expected to be launched in 2025 at an affordable price. Miyazaki's team also plans to continue researching AIM's other functions, including its potential role in human kidney problems and Alzheimer's disease. Their goal is to develop treatments that could one day help humans avoid dialysis and dementia.
